Appearance is Not Everything

II Corinthians 11: 5-15

Old Jake didn’t seem like much of a horse. With the huge body inherited from his Perchon father and the stubby legs and stubborn nature from his Shetland mother, he looked kind of like the equine version of a Dachshund, When Bill traded for him, he figured he’d make a good strong workhorse. Every evening Bill’s sons would ride Jake and another horse out to bring the cows home.

One day, one some of the cows decided to run the other direction. Cliff, the smaller boy was riding Jake, and couldn’t even get close to the cow, leaving all the work for Chet. Thinking he could get Jake to run faster, the boys traded horses. Chet couldn’t get any more speed than Cliff did. Those short legs made Jake’s gait very choppy and running quickly became unpleasant, so Chet decided to pull Jake down to a walk, but Jake refused to stop running. In fact, the harder Chet pulled the reins to stop him, the faster Jake went. They passed Cliff on the other horse and caught the cows with no trouble.

The boys discovered that if you pulled hard enough, Jake could pass any horse Bill owned, including one former race horse. After beating several other horses in races, They challenged a fellow with a well known racing horse to a race. The man agreed, but almost refused after he saw Jake, convinced that it was a waste of time. People who’d never seen Jake run bet heavily against Jake. Chet was a very large boy, and when he climbed on, the odds increased even more.

Although he was slower getting started, Jake won the race easily. The owner of the other horse challenged them to a race with another horse he owned in an effort to win his money back, and Jake won the second race as well. It didn’t seem possible that such an awkward looking horse could possibly out run the other horses, but he did.

Paul described himself as an Apostle born out of due season. He was not nearly as eloquent as Apollos, nor as physically imposing as Peter or John. He was not a member of the church at Jerusalem, nor a student of one of the other apostles. He was not considered one of the Pillars of the Church like Peter, James and John. He didn’t appear much as a very likely apostle, any more than Jake did as a race horse, yet when it came right down to doing the job, he did as well as any. What he had done was clearly visible to the Corinthians.

“For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been thoroughly made manifest among you in all things.” (II Corinthians 11:5-6)

Paul had not demanded that the Corinthian church support him, although he believed that that was God’s plan for the church. Instead, he had worked himself, and received some support from other churches. Some questioned his right to do this, since it was degrading for a pastor to work with his hands.

“Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely? I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.” (II Corinthians 11:7-9)

Paul considered it robbery to take wages from other churches, but he did so in an effort to eliminate money matters as a stumbling block that would hinder people’s salvation. In I Corinthians 9:1-14, he makes it clear that God intended the workers to share in the rewards of their work. Those who benefit from the teaching have an obligation to support those who teach. It is a shame to a church and disobedience for the church not to support their pastor.

When Paul went to Corinth there was no church. There was no one there to support him. As a missionary, he had accepted support from other churches. Some people feel that the church is just about getting money, and there are many out there who have no other interest. Paul wanted it clearly established that that was not his motivation, so he didn’t take support from the local people at that time, although they supported him when he went elsewhere according to I Corinthians 16:17. Notice Paul’s reasoning.

“As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth. But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.“ (II Corinthians 11:10-12)

Those who were attacking Paul for his actions were trying to make themselves to appear as spiritually sound as Paul by implying he didn’t know everything he should. They are in fact ministers of Satan rather than of God.

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (II Corinthians 11:13-15)

Artificial flowers sometimes look better than the real thing because they don’t have frosted petals, or places where the bugs have chewed them. False teachers sometimes appear better than the real thing because they don’t exhibit any damage from Satan’s attacks. Judging a horse, or flowers, or a pastor on appearance may result in serious mistakes. We need to remember what the Lord told Samuel. “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)